VERY LITTLE PRESSURE
very few neighbors
very many fish
.. The hoppers are in their final molt. The fish are enjoying a feast. A few neighbors are enjoying the fish. Yellowstone National Park is elbow to elbow. This little lake is not. We fish here every August and enjoy the solitude and the fish... We remember that on the date of August 16, 1959 this lake was not here. On August 17, 1959 the Madison River had been dammed by a massive landslide and 28 people were dead because of it. [Read about it here.]
.. The lake was full in less than a month, and one of the the largest mobilizations of the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers was required to create a spillway to avoid filling the whole valley - clear back
to Hegen Dam... The 'old road' is now the infrequently used launch ramp and provides access to the upstream fishing at the mouth of Beaver Creek.
.. This year's runoff has changed the delta, and the present 'master distributary channel' is pointed upstream creating an enormous back eddy. The fish found it before we did; they have been feeding voraciously on the goodies swirling around the eddy.
.. By the end of this week the hoppers will be in full flight and the glutinous fish will be very happy indeed. So will the neighbors who travel west instead of east to fish. The fishing is, (right now,) very good - as is the catching.
.. A boat is best but not required since the deep eddy brings the flotsam as well as the fish close to the shore.
.. If you choose to explore this area be prepared to make the acquaintance
of a few neighbors with flies commonly known as garden hackle... They are friendly and will give you pointers about the conditions and fish locations. There is no shortage of fish to be caught.
.. Although evening seems to be best for catching, anytime after noon will be fine. We have trusted but unverified reports that the morning, (before breakfast,) is also very productive.
.. This information is published here as a poorly kept secret. We know that no plans will be changed, and the flood of salmon and lemmings will continue into Yellowstone National Park. But, for a few locals -- and the occasional savvy visitor camped in the area, -- there is no better catching experience.
